Purple Heart Homes and the Lynchburg Area Veterans Council are rallying support to help orphaned siblings by expanding their aunt's home, following a tragic event involving a veteran.

The ceremony added eight new dog tags to the tribute that symbolizes a flag draped on a soldier's coffin.

The Lynchburg Area Veterans Council announced Tuesday that they won a $10,000 grant from the Homes for Heroes Foundation.

The Lynchburg Area Veterans Council is one of three national finalists to win a $10,000 grant from the Homes for Heroes Foundation – and need your vote to help them win.

An American flag designed with 7,040 dog tags was erected at Monument Terrace Thursday. Each dog tag is engraved with the names of those who died in the War on Terror.

LYNCHBURG, Va. – A group braved the rain to observe Veterans Day in front of Lynchburg’s Monument Terrace. They closed Church Street for the event featuring a wreath laying, tolling of the bell, a rifle salute and the playing of Taps. The Lynchburg Area Veterans Council sponsored the event, which also included guest speakers. “They volunteered to risk their very lives, not for fame, not for fortune, but only to serve our nation,” said Air Force veteran Glenn Spears. The group meets at Monument Terrace every Friday afternoon to honor veterans.

LYNCHBURG, Va. – A local war hero will be recognized by an organization in the Lynchburg area. The life and legacy of World War II hero Desmond Doss will be honored by the Lynchburg Area Veterans Council (LAVC) on Oct. 12. Doss, a Lynchburg native, was awarded the medal of honor on Oct. 12, 1945, for his service during World War II. It’s veterans helping veterans. There will also be a special movie showing of The Conscientious Objector about Doss' life on Sunday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m. at the American Legion post in Lynchburg.

In September, he and six other veterans who were once in prison will move into a house on Craddock Street in Lynchburg that the Lynchburg Area Veterans Council and the Lighthouse organization built just for them. It's because of this home, Michael Brady with LAVC said they will discontinue the annual veteran's parade to focus on a new mission. So the calling is what helped us make the decision that we don't have time to do the parade," Brady said. "If we save one person from committing suicide, one person ... keep that person alive," Brady said. Right now, Brady said they can count eight homeless veterans of the more than 680 homeless people in Lynchburg.